


You and Me, in the Scheme of Things

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Humor, Love, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-06
Updated: 2016-07-06
Packaged: 2018-07-21 23:25:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7409317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For a while, between their relationships, Trevor was the king of the bachelor auction circuit.  He was on the speed dial of every charity in the city.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You and Me, in the Scheme of Things

“Stop looking at me like that.” Trevor said.

“I'm not looking at you like anything.”

“I can feel your eyes on the nape of my neck.”

“You aren’t even looking at me.” Rafael reasoned. “How would you know how I'm looking at you?”

“How long have we known each other?”

“No comment.”

As Trevor pulled the steaks from the skillet, he turned to look at Rafael. Sure enough he was looking at him just as Trevor thought he was. There was a combination of love, awe, and lust on his face as he leaned on the kitchen doorway, arms crossed. The dog, who looked so tiny in comparison, stood a couple of inches back and to the right, having no earthly idea what was going on.

“I need to finish dinner.”

“I'm not doing anything.” Rafael shook his head.

“You look as if you're about to pounce, Counselor. If my lobster burns, I won't be happy. It’s probably time for Blanche to have dinner. She's not standing there staring because she likes us.”

“She likes me.”

“Feed the dog.” Trevor pointed at him.

“Yes sir.” Rafael did a little salute and then he laughed. 

He walked further into the kitchen, Blanche right on his heels. Trevor stood off to the side because he had such a fear of stepping on her. She was so small and he was so tall. He was sure she smelled his fear and used it to mostly keep him at bay and keep Rafael to herself. Trevor wasn’t jealous of a dog, he'd bought her after all, but Blanche was a diva. 

Like everything else, her dog food was the pricy kind. It was beef with barley and carrots, cost about $50 for a 20 pound bag. It would take forever for someone her size to eat all that food though so at least Trevor was comforted by that. Rafael scooped her dinner into the dog bowl and made sure her water was fresh. He never gave the dog tap water, usually Fiji. After much debate they both made an agreement that Deer Park would do, Trevor understood that tap water was a bit gross, but the bulldog didn’t need super high end. Rafael balked but eventually agreed.

“What are we having tonight?” Rafael asked as he washed his hands and Blanche chowed down. “Something smells glorious.”

“I rewatched the Gordon Ramsay steak tutorial about 7 times last night and thought I could do that.” Trevor replied. “So I went and got steak and lobster. I'm also baking au gratin potatoes, from a box, and boiling some artichokes. The amount of butter we’ll consume tonight is a sin against God.”

“I’ll just add it to the long list.” He smiled. “I’ll leave you to it…I don’t want the lobster to burn. Be careful and don’t step on the baby.”

“I won't.” Trevor took gentle hold of Rafael’s chin and kissed him. “Dinner should be ready in about 15 or 20 minutes.”

“I'm going to freshen up. Don’t step on Blanche.”

“I'm not going to step on your princess.” Trevor waved him away. “Go, go, go, I have to check on my potatoes.”

Rafael sighed and walked away. Trevor had only stepped on Blanche once, and it was more like he tripped over her while she was playing. He twisted his ankle and had to hobble around for over a week. Blanche was uninjured. But since then Rafael had become kind of paranoid. He didn’t want Blanche to be hurt but he also worried about Trevor. 

When he was a kid, his abuelo tripped over one of the stray cats in the neighborhood and mangled his knee good. He never walked the same. Rafael would have visions of Trevor falling on Blanche and she couldn’t breathe. Ever since the incident, both had been extra careful to kind of avoid each other. 

Blanche had designated play places and most of the time she adhered to the rules. Most of the time. But she was an adventurous beast; if it looked like fun she was going for it. Her human companions usually came along for the ride.

000

“Cuchura, this is amazing.”

“Are you sure there's enough flavor in the steak?” Trevor asked. “I was a little worried that if I added too much that it might toughen it.”

“It’s delicious.” Rafael smiled. “I don’t lie about steak to make anyone feel better.”

“I'm glad to hear it. Do not feed the dog.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.” Rafael looked at Blanche, who was looking back at him. Trevor would have to get up eventually…he'd give her just a little bite.

“I wanted to run something by you.” Trevor said. “I had lunch with Kathryn Hopkins a couple of days ago.”

“Does she still have a ridiculous crush on you?”

“Kate has been married for a decade.”

“I repeat, does she still have a ridiculous crush on you?” Rafael asked.

“We didn’t discuss it. But we did talk about Five Boroughs Rescue Mission, which is her favorite project. They're fundraising, having a big to-do in two weeks at the Jefferson Hotel. She wants my involvement.”

“What will you be doing?”

“Auctioning myself off.” Trevor replied. “I told her I had to talk to you about something like that. But they’re looking for handsome men, 30 to 60 to participate. All proceeds go to keeping the three no-kill shelters open that house dogs not easily adopted. Some are older, some not desirable breeds; you know how it is.”

“You're not a bachelor.” Rafael said, eating some of his artichoke. 

Trevor had really outdone himself with the meal and now he knew why. His fiancé was buttering him up to ask about this auction. What man in his right mind would let his fiancé go on a date with the highest bidder? For a while, between their relationships, Trevor was the king of the bachelor auction circuit. He was on the speed dial of every charity in the city.

“Yes, I know that, which is why I’m talking to you about it. It’s an important cause and auctioning oneself for an evening doesn’t give the person carte blanche over your whole person.”

“Some of them thinks it does.” Rafael mumbled.

“Well I’ll make sure they know that’s not the case with me. If you want I’ll have Kate announce that I am engaged so no love matches but surely a lovely evening of dinner or dancing or theater or me putting together your IKEA furniture while you bake me muffins.”

“Announce your engagement and kiss your title as most highly bid on male in Manhattan goodbye. The high end charity circuit will weep in its Beluga caviar.”

“I thought about that.” Trevor said. “It’s gonna suck not being able to be auctioned anymore but I'm getting something much better. I'm marrying the love of my life.”

“You're softening me up.” Rafael said.

“Oh please, we’ve done these things a million times before. It’s going to be a nice woman in her 60s who wants me to help in her community garden or escort her to an exhibit at the Met.”

“If you want to do it, I won't be a pain and stop you. I know how much you enjoy it. But I will say that after we’re married there will be no more auctions.”

“I'm not going to be a bachelor then…no one will want me.” Trevor laughed.

“Someone always wants you.” Rafael replied.

Trevor was a tall and handsome man. He had a magnificent body, he made a lot of money, and he could walk into any room and make like he owned the place without breaking a sweat. Old ladies, young ladies, older men, the older men were ruthless; he was a hot commodity. Rafael wasn’t the only one who thought so and that’s why Trevor never tried to insist there was nothing to be jealous about. While Rafael was 88% sure, the highest percentage he could be due to his own issues, that Trevor would never stray or leave him for anyone else, he also knew the lengths some people went through when they wanted something and had more money than God. 

Trevor would always laugh and say he was 20 years past his kept man stage but the truth was he was perfect for these rich geezers in their 70s. But Rafael planned to suck it up. This was for charity, it was a charity that Trevor held dear and did much work for over the years. So the least he could do was make sure the man he loved had the best last bachelor auction of his life.

“Maybe we can get the second dog we’ve talked about.” Rafael accidentally dropped his napkin on the floor. He was reaching for it the same time Blanche ran to it. In a swift move, he got the napkin and Blanche got the little nibble of lobster inside.

“You just fed Blanche.” Trevor said.

“No, I dropped my napkin.” Rafael held it up. “I got it back.”

“She's licking her chops, babe.”

“I don’t know what you're talking about.”

“Are you sure your princess will be able to handle a little competition?” Trevor asked. “No matter what she's going to see it as competition either way.”

“I think she’ll be fine. I don’t want to look at the second dog as just yours and I don’t want to think of Blanche as just mine. We’re a family. Have you considered a breed?”

“I want a Pitbull mix but the Langham doesn’t allow them. They still have such antiquated dog rules. The breed is not inherently dangerous when cared for, disciplined, socialized, and loved.”

“It’s also a weight thing. I don’t think the condo association allows anything over 40 pounds. A full grown Pitbull female can be about 60. We can get a corgi or terrier or even a husky. Husky might be just at the weight limit.”

“A husky might be nice.” Trevor smiled. “What would we name him?”

“I don’t know. Names aren’t something I think about until I see the creature. It’s something you just know as soon as you're in their presence. And most already have names but they can quickly learn to be something else. We’re going rescue, not breeder correct?”

“Yes. I only got Blanche from a breeder because they were highly reputable and Frenchies can have all kinds of health issues when you find them rescued because you don’t know what breeding mill they came from. It sounds snotty but I did it for you….I didn’t want you to fall in love with a sick dog and go through so much heartache. It would've broken my heart.”

“You love me?” Rafael asked, wiggling an eyebrow.

“More than words can express. I’ll think of some later though, I'm sure. I’ll kiss them all across your collarbone.”

Rafael smiled, biting his lip. What a loving man he had. They would be married at the end of September and living happily ever after. They would have two dogs and would redecorate the condo to suit both of their tastes. There were already a ton of boxes in the study that Rafael was ready to make use of; the ADA wasn’t fond of clutter. 

But the process had been slower than both wanted because work was so busy. They both needed to take a long weekend and just work on it. Color swatches, rug samples, furniture catalogs, the whole nine. It would be fun to see how much they could get through without bickering. Despite the special circumstances a month ago with the death threats, Rafael and Trevor weren't the kind of couple that fought. 

Still in two weeks he was going to have to attend counseling sessions and basically justify his contributions, good and bad, to the relationship. Rafael had tried to think of ways out of it. That wasn’t happening. Even though he also knew it was probably a good idea to get a session or two in, he and Trevor didn’t agree on everything and life wasn’t always roses, Barba was still willing to try to get out of it. If the perfect, no bullshit excuse came along, he was not above using it.

“You know, we haven’t talked about the wedding in a while. I hardly know what's going on. I know I left the arrangements for you to handle and I would handle the honeymoon but I want to talk.”

“Are you done eating?” Trevor asked.

“Almost. This really is delicious; the artichoke is nice and fleshy and everything goes really well with a good glass of scotch.”

“My mother is handling the flower costs. Our colors are black, white, and purple so she went for carnations. They’re less expensive than roses and we have to dye some black and they also absorb dye better. But we’re both going to wear roses on our suits. Mine will be purple and yours will be white. 

“The venue is paid for; I'm working on the last of the menu since it’s going to be evening I wasn’t sure if we’d do a full meal or an appetizer extravaganza. It’s going to be a small crowd but I’m not talking pigs in a blanket. I'm working with Hello Caterers, which is one of the best wedding caterers in Brooklyn. They’ve done appetizer and wine weddings before.”

“I'm going to shop for my suit soon.” Rafael said. “When are we going to take the engagement pictures?”

“It’s scheduled for next Sunday. I'm still working on the last minute plans of where we want them to be. I don’t want them to be too cliché. But I want a picture of you proposing to me in front of Bergdorf’s.”

“That’s so incredibly us.” Rafael smiled as he cut into the last of his steak. Blanche was staring hard but he was almost caught with the napkin last time. That gravy train had ground to a halt. “I can't wait to propose to you in front of the whole of Manhattan.”

“And then I thought the Met would be lovely. The fountain in Central Park is great as well. The Upper West Side has plenty of great places to take pictures and as long as the weather agrees with us I think we’re going to get some great ones done. Also, Liv and Pippa have a dress fitting in a couple of weeks for their dresses.”

“It was great of you to ask Pippa to do this.”

“I adore her.” Trevor said. “I know she and the kids are still going through hell daily. I'm just glad that we knew enough people in high places for her to get her job back without any lost benefits. She's going to need someone there for her as she works on getting her life back. I want to help if I can.”

“You're a hero, Trevor Langan. With each glance and every little movement you show it.”

“If I had my hat on, I would throw it up in the air.” He smiled. “Did I ever tell you of the ridiculous obsession I had on Mary Tyler Moore growing up? In fact, when I came out my father said ‘you can't be gay, not the way you pined over Mary Tyler Moore’.”

“You wanted to be Mary,” Rafael said. “Not fuck Mary.”

“Pretty much…see, you get that.” Trevor smiled.

“I know you. I mean, your dad knows you but I _know_ you.”

“That’s certainly true. Are you in the mood for dessert?”

“Is that a rhetorical question?” Rafael reached to squeeze Trevor’s hand. “Dinner was really terrific. I should let you loose in the kitchen more often.”

Trevor liked the idea of eating in more. He loved restaurants and having an evening out with Rafael. Their jobs could be stressful and being served was nice so they could take some time to focus on each other. But they were going to be married soon and Trevor thought he might be nesting. 

They would redecorate and have dinner in more and maybe invite friends over for cocktails and conversations. Both were in their mid-40s, they didn’t need to be cosmopolitan men of the city forever. It would be nice to have a home to go to, be a couple, and grow old together. Trevor didn’t care if that made him a sentimental fool. As quiet as he kept it, he always had been.

“I’ll handle the dishes.” Rafael got up and gathered their plates. He leaned and kissed Trevor’s lips.

“Don’t feed the dog.” Trevor said as Blanche followed him into the kitchen.

‘I won't, I promise.”

“And that includes dropping napkins on the floor.”

“You don’t even trust me.” Rafael replied. “I'm gonna be your husband.”

“Which is exactly why I know how you covertly feed the dog.”

They both laughed. Rafael wanted to know what they should have for dessert. Dinner was still digesting and he wanted to enjoy that. But a nice little sugar rush was a good way to end the evening.

“There's key lime pie in the fridge.” Trevor got up from the table but didn’t go into the kitchen. “It’s Marie Callender’s but you enjoyed it the last time we had it.”

“I remember…I did. Do we have any whipped cream?”

“It comes with whipped cream, and yes, even enough whipped cream to satisfy you. You have to let it sit for a little while to get to room temperature before cutting it.”

“What shall we do while we wait?” Rafael asked, glancing back. He was surprised that Trevor wasn’t in his field of vision but knew he hadn’t gone far.

“I'm thinking relax on our couch and kiss each other breathless.” Trevor replied. “Then we breathe for a little bit and go right back to kissing.”

“That’s a solid plan.”

“I thought so as well. So finish scraping those dishes and come to my arms, Counselor.”

Rafael grinned, he couldn’t wait to. He put the plates, utensils, and glasses in the dishwasher, doing the same a few minutes later with the pots and pans used to cook the meal. After grabbing the pie box from the second shelf of the fridge, Rafael made his way to the living room, the couch, and Trevor’s arms. Blanche was right behind him…she had no problem sharing lap space. Just like the couple had no problem ignoring the dog while they kissed.

***


End file.
